fweasel Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I'm helping my sister shop for a Cooper S. I'm definitely into cars far more than she or her husband will ever be, so I've made it my quest to be as informed as possible. I remember seeing several profiles here that included Mini's as second cars. Just looking for feedback on good forums, recall info, that sort of thing. Thanks in advance. ignore him, he'll go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxerGT2.5 Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Talk to PGT....he has one. OBAMA......One Big Ass Mistake America! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fweasel Posted February 13, 2006 Author Share Posted February 13, 2006 Talk to PGT....he has one. roger that ignore him, he'll go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwood Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 yep, there are several here who have one in the family. my wife has a regular cooper (not the S). there are a lot of boards for them, e.g. http://forums1.roadfly.com/mini/forums/cooper/ http://www.mini2.com/ http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/ getting out of the legacy game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froggert Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 i had a cooper s then traded it in on the legover. didn't spend a whole lot of time on the mini forums as there's probably as much crap to wade through on those as there is on nabisco, if not more. but it's a good car - my gf is thinking about getting one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I sold my Beemer in favor of buying a second Mini. As soon as I get done paying for the wedding that is. I am convinced if I buy one that I won't mod it. Famous last words :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Pimp Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 Any news on when the new turbo one is coming out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 late summer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
botisb Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 My folks have a cooper s (john cooper works edition) convertible. The car has some serious low end torque and pop. The heated seats are rediculously hot. A feature that I don't like is when you open the door from within you have to open twice it before it unlocks (u get used to it) The upgraded stereo system is pretty nice. I love the layout of the dashboad. They have had no recalls/maintenance issues, that i know of. Great car, not sure about driving it year round, i'd still want to have awd. I am told if you put some nice snow tires on a mini they are a tank. -Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 We have Nokian WR's on our MCS-C and I still would only drive it if absolutely necessary. As for the double-clutch on the door handle, that's common on all BMW's and a safety feature. I have read that the dealer can reprogram that, but we haven't bothered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwood Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 earlier mini's had dbw issues didn't they? hesitations and the like? no doubt largely done away with by now, but something to keep in mind if you are looking at early models. the regular cooper has no powerband, but it is actually fine cruising on the highway and still a blast to drive around the twisties. getting out of the legacy game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallispec Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 I had a good time driving one around this past summer -- however 3 adults in the car was more than the S model could cope with and retain any amount of sportiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 the issue with buying a used MINI is that resale is very strong. Make sure you do a TCO comparison against a newer used model and possibly a brand new model. With higher interest rates and strong resale value on a used model, it might not cost much more to get a new model with a warranty. Seriously. I intended to buy a second, used, stripped down MC or MCS for me as a commuter car....I soon realized I would be paying almost the same for a new one. MINI is among the top five in resale value in the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andersoncollectibles Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 I can understand having a mini here in Europe, but in the states, they just aren't practical... so for those of you who have them... why? Children's and Family Photographer http://www.AForgetMeNotMoment.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallispec Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 I can understand having a mini here in Europe, but in the states, they just aren't practical... so for those of you who have them... why? it's a chick car... aka "cute" actually though, the one I drove around had more room in the back seat and trunk than my mom's VW convertible bug. So it's not entirely un-practical. I'd be interested to get one for the same reason it'd be fun to have a old miata sitting around... Just a neat, small, light car that would be fun to rag on and do some spirited driving in. (i'd rather have the miata though, and use it for autox) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwood Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 they are fun, relatively economical, good for a city or country run-about. what's not practical to that? as long as no adult has to spend much time in the rear seat.... getting out of the legacy game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 Until you drive one, you won't 'get it'. Drive it....it's a freaking go-kart - no bushings between the steering rack and the suspension - it's got great feedback. My fiancee had a WRX wagon and sold it to get the Mini. She's been happy about teh decision every day since - we have the LGT for times when we need to have passengers. The dogs fit in the back of the Mini perfectly. http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/PatagonianGT/Tobert.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twisted Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 Great car, not sure about driving it year round, i'd still want to have awd. I am told if you put some nice snow tires on a mini they are a tank. -Ben snow tires would help quite a bit...the low center of gravity helps too i bet but they may be in trouble with more than 6 inches on the groung sue to little clearance. Other problems with the mini are....loud exhaust and crapppy/harsh shocks and i hate the seats...very uncomfortable.back seats are useless. other than that its a feature packed car for the money and handles well...! i'd get a scubie anyday.....or a S2K or a Saturn Skyy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froggert Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 why aren't they practical? fold the rear seats down and there's a good amount of room. i could tow a trailer with two motorcycles averaging 75 mph and still get 24 mpg. had a set of blizzak ws50's and no problems in the winter. parking it in nyc or hoboken was great - i could squeeze into spots that other cars wouldn't even look at. the stock dunlop sp5000 runflats were TERRIBLE. think re92 but worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwood Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 i could squeeze into spots that other cars wouldn't even look at. . while that is definitely true, I find the legacy much easier to park - I think you can get a greater angle with our wheel at full lock or something... getting out of the legacy game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 Other problems with the mini are....loud exhaust and crapppy/harsh shocks and i hate the seats...very uncomfortable.back seats are useless. loud exhaust?? Some people like it that way. Heck, my fiancee loves the MillTek exhaust I just installed for her and it's louder than stock. Crappy shocks?? Subaru could only wish to get the tuning this good. Right balance of stiffness to ride comfort for a sports car - if you wanted a Caddy ride, don't buy a MINI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fzanetti Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 I am convinced if I buy one that I won't mod it. Famous last words :laugh: STOP LYING!!!!! Hahahahahahaahah :lol: Flavio Zanetti Boston, MA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 ehh...just ditch the runflats for some 16" Volks, a S/C pulley and reflash, TMIC, Milltek exhaust and I'm done. Or, I'd order the JCW kit from the factory and get all that plus F&R BBK's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froggert Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 eh, something else i forgot. not sure if the newer ones come with it, but i'd want some kind of lsd. limited slip, not the hallucinagenic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 Jan '05 production and later offered it as a $500 option. Sadly, our salesperson didn't tell us that and we got a pegleg. The car needs it stock, much less with the mods on ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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